The Two Faces of Racism

I think any who knows me or is a regular reader of A/O knows that I couldn't care less about someone's race, income level, gender or sexual orientation, or religion. My interest is on social justice and non-partisanship. I view people on how they treat me and how they treat others. 

People need to accept responsibility for their actions and stop blaming others or using social crutches when things don't go their way By the same token, however, I never gave anyone a pass based on their race or whatever. You are what you are and that's it as far as I'm concerned. 

Nevertheless, we seem to hear the term "racist" or "racism" bandied around a lot these days (including reverse racism). It seems that in most cases it's coming from Blacks or Hispanics and is being aimed at primarily whites. In a few cases, I think it may be justified. There are some examples of subtle and not to subtle racism taking place, however, it appears that more often than not the term is being used as some form of chastisement for disagreeing with someone of color; of not giving them what they think they're entitled to, and that's wrong. It cheapens the impact of the term. Back in the 60's and 70's, a term for narrow mindedness was to call someone a "conservative". By the 1980's, being called a "liberal" was seen as derogatory.

Now, I do want to clear something up before going any further. There is such a thing as institutional racism, which is the more subtle and perhaps sinister form of racism. This type of racism has manifested itself in several well publicized events involving the police where a Black individual was shot and killed (Tamir Rice comes to mind). We've all seen the video where Eric Garner was choked to death by a New York City cop or Walter Scott, the unarmed Black male repeatedly shot in the back while he ran away. 

The South Carolina police officer claimed he feared for their life. There has been numerous other examples. In some instances, the officer or officers are usually found innocent when they clearly weren't. In several incidents, the officer was justified in taking the kill shot since their life was obviously threatened. In most of these events, as tragic as they were, these events are usually followed by looting, robbery, arson, and attempted assaults on police officers. Most of us are taught that if an cop tells you to stop and put your hands up, that's what you do. Yet you'll hear others say that because Blacks are taught to fear police, they should be treated differently if they decide to run.

I fail to see how any of that made the situation better. Some apologists will say that the community was "angry" and "had" to act out. Really? You mean to tell me that the answer to violence was more violence and destruction of property and robbing neighbors? You'll note that rarely, in similar circumstances, do you see the same "torch and trash" mentality among whites or Asian (or for that matter, generally among most Hispanics). 

Therefore, if that is indeed the case, then we have not a racial problem but a psychological group problem that either willfully ignores right from wrong or is mentally incapable of understanding the difference between the two, and that would likely lead to a societal failure; the treatment of which I could only guess at but assume it would result in the wholesale drugging of an entire population. Perhaps the problem stems from broken homes without a strong supportive male presence. 

Perhaps it also results in behavioral problems in school where defying authority is accepted as the norm (the argument being that black students, especially males, resent non-white authority figures yet the behavior remains the same in schools where the facility is predominately black as well). Some add that there is a "hopelessness" anticipated upon graduation due to low GPAs and students being "flunked forward", which might be true (unfortunately , however, academic performance is usually repeatedly lowered across the board to artificially inflate the passing grades).

 
However, academic performance is often seen as "acting white" or "acting Asian" and thus, strongly discouraged by peer pressure. As with any single parent families, the responsibility for the welfare of the child or children falls on the mother (if she's even present in their lives) or their extend families such as grandparents, cousins, or even foster homes. 

As such, they rarely if ever are able to take an active role in the child's academic or even social life. Well, obviously, poor academic performance coupled with poor discipline (and the lack of ability to administer any discipline) is a near guarantee for life failure (and let's face it, not everyone is going to be a sports star, especially if they can barely spell their name). The result is usually a quick track to jail or gangs and both generally lead to the cemetery. The Black community has always had an unusual attachment to their churches, which seems to attempt to fill the broken home void and instill a sense of self-worth and pride, community, and values; all good things in my opinion, but nothing beats a stable home life.

Schools exist to teach. Not to serve as glorified babysitters. Teachers should not fear being attacked, nor should they be forced to pass failing students to meet some mandated quotas. Control of academics should be at the local level and taken out the hands of the federal government as much as possible. 

Discipline must be restore, either with the parent's permission or the parent's direct intervention. No exceptions. Students should be required to meet minimum academic performances before any extracurricular activities are allow, especially sports. We must stop dumbing down academics and trying to make everyone fit into one neat peg hole.

Those who excel should be encouraged and provided with the resources to help them achieve their potential regardless of race or any other factor (those who attempt to bully students of color for "acting white" or acting Asian" should be dealt with severely. No one should fear having their future taken away from them). All students should be required to take some form of art, music or theater. 

All students should be required to take a civics class and perform at least six academic hours of community service. Lastly, we need to return to trade and vocational education since not everyone needs to attend college but everyone does need a professional skill. In fact, there are shortages in the trades and most pay quite well. Technical knowledge is easily transferable, so no matter where you live there will likely be a demand for your skills. I think once we can improve the academic and self-worth side, I think we can go a long way to eliminating the sense of inferiority which leads some to claim "racism" and the need for violence.

On the institutional side, we need to take serious steps to eliminate the internal protection of those who engage in subtle racism and, to be blunt, bad cops. Right now we seem to have a system which protects and hides bad officers from punishment the same way the Catholic Church has done for pedophiles (another hideous crime which must be stopped). I understand the need for police officers to protect one another (they have this "us against the world" attitude and that most of us are simply criminals they haven't caught yet). T

he point is, bad behavior reflects on the good guys just as much as it reflects on the bad ones and on the judicial system. True, if convicted, these officers are likely to be placed in the same prison system they helped to send the thugs. Frankly, I think that's just too bad. They should have thought about that before they acted irresponsibly. For a society to function properly, there has to be a sense of trust in those whose jobs are to provide safety and administer justice. 

Right now, that's lacking in this country. We have a level of confidence in the federal government which would have triggered an all out revolution in just about any other country several times over (and I have no doubt that we'll have one yet). However, until the system steps up to plate and takes responsibility for the actions of those it hires, the situation will continue to get worse, and that means more people will disregard the police, the courts, and take matters into their own hands, which includes shooting cops and judges if that's the only way they see justice happening.

Lastly, the corporate media. After watching the actions of the corporate media---the so-called "liberal" and "conservative"---it's clear they have "crapped in their own nests". The corporate media, which has long been biased, dropped all pretenses this last go around and openly endorsed Democrat Hillary Clinton. They did everything they could to distract, bury, distort, and misdirect. 

Right now they're towing the "Russian's did it" line to cover for Hillary's loss as the result of her corruption uncovered by WikiLeaks. and other sources (including the use of unsecured servers, cell phones, etc). They are trying to find a reason to blame the Russians for "interfering" with our election process, yet we---the American People---know fully good and well that the Russians weren't involved. 

We have the same intelligence agencies who claimed the Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, claiming that the Russians somehow hack through the security wall of the NSA, FBL, DIA, CIA, and Homeland Security, just to see Hillary defeated when we've witnessed Hillary, Debbie Wassermann-Schultz of the DNC caught red-handed fixing the Democratic Primary to ensure Bernie Sanders lost, and then rigging the Democratic Convention to keep Sander's supporters out.

So, when it comes to "racism", we see these same corporate media types trot out the same race baiters and show the same cherry picked and heavily edited footage. In fact, under President Obama, there has been as greater racial divide in this country since the early 1960's. In fact, there seems to be an underlining theme to promote as much division between Americans as possible, be it race, religion, illegal immigration, importing unvetted Muslims from hostile countries, attempts to rekindle a cold war with Russia, issues involving sexual orientation, and so forth. 

 If you look back to the 1980's for instance, you'll note that issues involving race were pretty rare. In fact, there was a significant rise in inter-racial relationships that was unprecedented. Inter-racial or minority dominated TV shows were commonplace and no one cared! Now, it seems like some folks are wearing it on their sleeves and some Black Congressmen and Senators are again talking about Civil War reparations, which would go a long way to raising racial tensions.

Personally, I think this is intentional. As most Americans know by now, America is an oligarchy. We are headed headlong into a neo-fascist police state. The State needs for us to feel insecure. They need for us to demand protection, and they will be all to happy to provide it...in exchange for our personal freedom and greater control over our lives. 

In order to be successful, they need for us to be at each other's throats. They need for violence and uncertainty to reign, and they requires that we be divided; they we be afraid. It also requires that we be unarmed and unable to defend ourselves. As long as we fear or hate each other, we are not looking at them. We are not watching or questioning our freedoms vanishing in the name of "security" or "protection". After all, we were the ones who "demanded" it. 

We need to acknowledge that we are being manipulated and intentionally divided. The government is not our own. It has been usurped by a corporate elite---the 1% if you will. We must ignore the race baiters. We must demand that those who do engage in legitimate hate crimes, regardless of their race, orientation or religion, be punished. The threat to our liberty won't coming thundering. It will be subtle and it will be cloaked in good intentions.


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Obama Has Produced More Racism Than 200 Years of Slavery


Socialist Leader: Racism Is Worse Under Obama


Deep Racial Divide Remains Under Obama


Obama Scolded for 'Divisive' Speech on Racism to Blacks

Let's Talk Race Relations

There's been a lot of talk of recent about race relations. Most it has come from the perspective of primarily the black community complaining about the decline in police and community relations as the number of violent incidents involving black youths and police officers increase (though related incidents such as protests, rioting, and looting are downplayed or ignored). There is also a lot of chatter about the Oscars and the fact that for the second year in a row, all of the nominees are white. Therefore, as a result, many entertainers---the majority of which are black but not all---intend to boycott the event, while there's anticipated to be several outbursts when the TV event airs live on February 28th. Other issues have been raised which has been given a racial twist; perhaps too many for the space I have, but hopefully we can at least touch on a few.

A discussion about race has often been seen as akin to skipping through a cow field. Despite the scenery, odds are pretty good that you're going to step on something and at the very least, there's going to a stink by the time you're done. As I stated above, much of the talk has originated from members of the black community while very little has come from whites, which gives the impression that whites either don't care or are supposed to just not say anything. So, with that in mind (along with the cow field analogy), let's take are shoes off and go for a stroll.

I grew up in the deep South during the 1960's while the Civil Rights movement raged all around me. I was interested in the movement,

though a bit puzzled too. When I was in the 6th Grade, I had a older black teacher---Mrs. Knight. I don't know much about her except that she seriously hated Republicans (more on that shortly). Where we lived was mostly a low income military oriented neighborhood; most everyone was either in the military or recently retired from it. Just a mile or so away was an area of town called "Sweetwater" which was predominately black and poor; dirt poor. My neighborhood and Sweetwater shared a common 7-11 Convenient store, so it wasn't uncommon to see blacks and whites standing in line together to buy lunchmeats, bread, chips or Icees. I also had several friends who happened to be black. In fact, most of my friends were poor---black and white, along with some middle class kids. Some were Irish or Italian Catholics, Protestants, Asian, Native American and even Hispanic (there were very few Hispanics there at the time). We all had fun, talked, played. and did the usual stuff kids do.

Throughout school in fact I had classmates who were a mixed lot. No one cared. No one refused to sit by or play with or talk to any of the other kids because of it. There was never any discrimination when we went to lunch or the restroom. Nothing. The only difference any of us noticed was that some got off at different bus stops or walked a little further than others. Now, Mrs. Knights was a bit different. I don't think it was that she didn't like white children. I just think she hated Republicans. Strange isn't it? We had a 5th/6th grade "Presidential Election". I wanted to be "Robert F Kennedy". I had been following his campaign and I just plain liked him. I remember staying up that fateful night in June and watching live as he gave his last speech in the Ambassador Ballroom before exiting to what would be his death. I had previously watched as he announced the death of Martin Luther King just a month before and all the subsequent riots just as I watched the murders at Kent State by the Ohio National Guard and the Chicago police riots during the Democrat Convention as well as the Weathermen, sit-ins, Anti-Vietnam War protests, SLA and Patty Hearst (little did I know then, but I would later serve on the security detail in her wedding) as the '60's morphed into the '70's. It was exciting and dangerous times and I was totally engrossed in all of it.

Anyway, with RFK assassinated, I was technically "out" of the race. However, when we later got around to the general election, I noticed no one had chosen Richard Nixon, so I did. Well, that didn't sit well with Mrs. Knight. She loudly proclaimed---repeatedly---that she wasn't going to have a "Republican in my classroom" (which naturally sealed the deal for me). Well, a lot happened and let's just say that Mrs. Knight was "invited" not to return the following year and I "won" the election. Throughout my life, I've had friends of all races, religions, ethnic groups and sexual orientation. It really never made any difference to me. I've always found that there's good and bad in every group. When I was in college, I took courses in diversity training and employment law. I spent, as part of my work career, being a employee representative. I would sometimes catch employers saying or doing something which I thought wasn't right, and I never hesitated in saying or doing something about it. Obviously, I didn't endear myself to management very often. I even served on public boards which represented predominantly black and/or poor residents as well as seniors, women and the handicapped. I always thought everyone was entitled to a fair and honest chance---until you prove me wrong.

I served on a two police related projects. One was police and community relations committee which arose from some incidents similar to Ferguson and Cleveland. The other was a police advisory board and a special merit review board. In both instances, I would hear first hand---without the media spin---about situations police officers, EMS or the fire department would engage in every day. Frankly, I don't know how they do it. I'd sit and listen as they recounted encounters---occasionally with terrible outcomes---and watched their expressions as they relived each moment; searching in their mind's eye at the same time whether there was something they could have done differently. I think I can safely say that none of these officers started out at the beginning of their shift with the thought that someone would be harmed by the time it was over.

I don't know what really happened in Ferguson, Staten Island, in that park in Cleveland or any of the other places. I've read the stories. I watched on TV. I saw the raw video footage (when available). I read the testimonies. Often, there is far more to what happened than what the media tells us (and remember the media is about ratings because ratings drive revenue and the media tends to report from a particular political perspective). Do I agree with the outcomes? Most of the time, yes, after I sorted through the available evidence, but on occasion, no I don't. One some occasions, the verdict is just wrong. I don't know if it's a cover-up, just an ill informed jury or review board with an agenda. But I can say this---when a police officer tells you to stop, you stop. When you're asked for information, you provide it without any lip. You don't act aggressively or start waving your arms around or acting like you're going to run. You keep your hands where the officer can see them. I've often heard that some parents---especially black and Hispanic---teach their children not to trust or respect the police.

Well, that's a good way to get your children into trouble down the road, if not worse. If you think you were treated badly, report them (get their name and/or badge number). Better yet, hire a lawyer. Yeah, you might lose, but at least you won't be in the morgue. On a related matter, I think it's a pretty stupid idea that if you feel the need to protest, to loot or burn down local businesses (not to mention cutting fire hoses or throwing rocks, bottles or Molotov cocktails at cops, EMS or the fire department). What's even stupider is expecting taxpayers to clean it up or prohibit businesses from not moving out, making the situation worse than it was before. Just plain ole stupid.

As for the Oscars---grow up. Just because all the nominees are white doesn't mean there's some conspiracy going on, especially in uber-liberal Hollywood of all places and not when the President of the Academy for Motion Picture Art and Sciences, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, is both female and black. It sounds to me like a bunch of spoiled kids not getting their way. Perhaps the reason there were no black nominees or black oriented pictures nominated was because no one turned in a performance that any of the randomly chosen Academy members who voted thought was worthy of a nomination. Maybe there weren't any pictures which were of sufficient quality compared to the others which were nominated. Ever think about that? Are we now supposed to have a quota system of nominees based on race and/or gender instead of performance or quality?

Listen, there are the BET Awards and Miss Black America Pageant and I'm willing to bet no white, Asian, or Hispanic was either nominated or won...ever. There is the Hispanic Choice Awards, arts and entertainment awards program for Hispanics, as well as a "Miss Latina" beauty pageant and I'm pretty certain no Asian or non-Hispanic person received an award or even a nomination! By the way, there is also a "Miss Asian American" and a "Miss Native American" beauty pageant too. There is a Black Achievers and a Hispanic Heritage Award programs as well as a Black Heritage Month and a Hispanic Month (sorry Asians and Native Americans, no month for you...yet). In fact, there are television and radio shows and networks as well as movies dedicated to Asians, blacks, and Hispanics only. There are magazines and Internet sites dedicated to practically every group out there. The Grammys are open to every group and every group has won at some point. There is even a special category for primarily a black/urban/Rap genre. There are special categories for Latin music, but not one dedicated for white, Asian, or Native American performers. There are numerous professional or social organizations and associations available for the LGBT community, for Asians and Hispanics, as well as for Native Americans and blacks. There are grants and funds available for practically every group as well. However, there is one overarching exception to all this...whites.

Whites are the only group which are not allowed to be self-represented. In the past, it was argued, that was because whites were a racial majority or that they held key positions, therefore special hiring quotas were put in place, which later applied to women as well because they were a minority. Perhaps that was a good thing since it served notice that individuals could not be kept out because of the race, gender or other factors including sexual orientation or religion. However, it didn't always ensure the best candidate was hired or was awarded the government contract.

Nowadays, of course, whites aren't a majority. They are close to being on par with Hispanics. Within the next 20 years, Hispanics will hold a slight majority. Meanwhile, blacks are now the third largest racial group in the US (behind Hispanics) with Asians closing in. In fact, white males are an official minority while women make up a significant presence in the workplace---47%---though they still lag behind in certain fields such as science, mathematics, and engineering (and women still---despite various laws--- are not paid equal to their male counterparts regardless of race and still lack many of the key leadership positions in business). So, where was the outcry from the Hollywood types for the lack of Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans that weren't nominated? I don't recall seeing any of their faces. Did you?

The point I'm making here is threefold. I couldn't begin to care less if one group has its own awards or radio and television networks. It doesn't impress me that there is a specific music or movie genre dedicated to a particular group, or even if there are associations and funding aimed to benefit a specific minority. I don't even care if everyone has their own beauty pageant! However, if you're going to allow one (or more) to have them, then you need to allow all to have them. There are events where everyone participates, but there are equivalent events which by their nature discriminates legally, but everyone has been conditioned to say and do nothing. It's almost common to hear whites called "racist" (like the Oscars or political talk shows for example) or there's a disagreement of opinion (sort of like saying "and your momma too". Same goes for "white privilege"). So, let's quit with the double standard when it comes to race and calling people "racist" or claiming "privilege" just because you didn't get your way or someone disagrees with you. We're either all equal or we're all "entitled" equally.

Secondly, you can dislike cops or the legal system all you want, but when you're told not to do or to do something law enforcement (and EMS or the fire department) or a judge, simply do as you're asked and keep quiet unless you're asked for information. Pay attention to what's going on around you. Keep your hands where they are visible and no exaggerated movements. While we're at, if you don't like your prospects, then instead of blaming society or others, try paying attention while you're in school.

I've heard too much about certain minorities harassing, bullying, or beating up fellow minority students because doing well in school is viewed by these losers as "acting white" or "trying to be white" as if failing in life is some commendable achievement to be proud of. Get a good education while you can, especially if it's free. If you're out of school and things aren't working out, consider going back and making a change with your life. Remember, you get only one chance at this life. This isn't a dress rehearsal. Education is still the best path to a better and healthier life, and there's no better revenge than living well.

Lastly, there really are no real differences between people except how they present themselves and how they treat others. If you act like a thug or jerk, odds are pretty good that's how people will perceive you and that's how they'll treat you. If you treat people like they're different, there's a pretty good that's how people will start to act. Everyone deserves the same equal chance to prove themselves, be it as a neighbor, employee/employer, or as a friend. It's up to them what they do with that chance.


United States Department of Labor, Women's Bureau
http://www.dol.gov/wb/factsheets/Qf-laborforce-10.htm


The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education
http://www.jbhe.com/features/65_gradrates.html


Bullying Bruises Grades for Black and Latino Students
http://www.livescience.com/15694-bullying-black-latino-grades.html


A Neutral Look at Police Brutality
http://graphs.net/police-brutality-statistics.html


The Justice Blog: Police Violence and Race
https://systemicjusticeblog.wordpress.com/2014/11/29/perceptions-of-race/


Who's Boycotting the Oscars So Far
http://www.thewrap.com/whos-boycotting-oscars-so-far-and-whos-just-mad-photos/

Is America Racist?

Racism. There it is. A dirty six letter word that reeks of bigotry and hatred, and no individual and no group is immune to it. It can affect those who harbor it just as much as it can as those it's directed toward. I have no tolerance for it in any of its forms nor do I have any patience for listening to it or seeing it.

People of all races have been guilty of it and many, if not all, remain guilty of it whether they want to admit it or not. Some say that a minority can never get be accused of being racist; only a majority race can. Really? How does the size of one's race composition define the attitude toward another race, especially when racial sizes tend to vary? I am a white male. Am I a racist? No, of course not. But if one believes that's due, at least in part, to the fact that whites are the majority population in this country, bear in mind that white males are officially a minority according to the US Census Bureau. Therefore, I and my other fellow white males would fail to meet the criteria for a racist. In fact, over the next 10 to 15 years, whites in general will only be a large minority; essentially on par with Hispanics while blacks, now the third largest racial group, will drop further and will actually be fourth behind Asians in some locations. So, I guess that definition would make all of us racists wouldn't it?

As I see it, racism is not limited to one group or another or to the size or prominence of any racial group. Racism has been part of the human condition since we fell out of the trees on the African savanna. I have absolutely no doubt that there was some form of racism between Neanderthals, Denisovans, and Homo sapiens with taunts of "hair pullers" and "knuckle draggers". It may be that the larger or more powerful groups could act on its prejudices easier than others at certain times but obviously not exclusively. Racism is to me a dislike of someone or some group based on their difference in skin color and some assigned stereotypical appearance or behaviors. Yes, there are really differences between the races, not just physically, but intellectually, however, in both instances those differences tend to be minor. Racism exists because one group sees itself as superior which is, of course, nonsense. No one and no group excels at all things. Groups, like individuals, are better adapted at some things than others (with the most likely explanation having as much to do with environment and adaptability), but this isn't about human evolution or anthropology. This is about racism as it now exist in this country.

Over the past 10 or 20 so years, most people have come to accept that we have become "post-racial", and I think to a point that's been true. Certainly, we have mixed racial dating, not to mention mixed racial marriages and mixed racial children (in fact, multiple race children are not uncommon). Having friends, neighbors, co-workers of different races is so common places as not to even be noticed. Back in the early 1960's and earlier, it would have nearly been unheard of to have a black, or Asian, or even Hispanic supervisor (for that matter, even a female supervisor). Today, no one even notices. Once we would never have had an elected official who wasn't white (or even female). That's hard to even comprehend today isn't it? For that matter, we would never see a TV ad or show with a minority playing anything but a minor (and usually stereotypical part. I am reminded of the great hoofer, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, who was considered by many, including Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly, and Fred Astaire, as the greatest song and dance man ever to have graced the stage, yet he still had to use the backdoor to enter the set).

Today, not only are blacks, but Asians and Hispanics on par with whites in every regard---employment, entertainment, politics, the military, but in many respects, elevated beyond whites. We have funds set up exclusively for blacks, Native Americans, Asians and Hispanics. We have not only TV and radio show aimed at racial audiences, we have entire media networks such as BET or Univision, as well hundreds of magazines, plus music and book genres within more "mainstream" multiracial venues like the Grammys, Miss America Pageant, and the Oscars, but also have their own stand alones like BET Music Awards, Miss Black America, Black Entrepreneur Awards, in addition to the Hispanic and Asian art and entertainment awards. There are law enforcement associations for blacks, Asians, and Hispanics, as well as social activist organizations such as NAACP and La Raza. Politically, we have Hispanic, Asian, and black caucuses and associations to focus on the issues of their specific racial constituents. There are even affirmative hiring laws on the books that give preference based on race rather than individual qualifications, plus loan and federal contract guarantees aimed at certain racial groups.

However, there are no such comparative organizations for whites (actually, I found over 100 organizations each dedicated to Asians, blacks and Hispanics. There was just one dedicated to whites (at least one not designated as a "hate" group by the Southern Poverty Law Institute). This was a "white only" scholarship fund providing $250 to qualified applicants. It was shut down in 2013. There are no white only awards, TV or radio shows let alone networks or stations. There are no white only college organizations or funding. There are no white only professional associations or musical or book genres, and there's most certainly no Miss White America or NAAWP. Therefore, if social participation and/or representation are the basis for determining racial profiling and thus racism, then whites fail to meet these guidelines. Still looking for "White Privilege"? I don't think you're going to find it. Nevertheless, of late we have seen the deaths of three individuals blamed on racism because the multiple races were involved. We've also seen looting (blatant theft) and the destruction of businesses, yet in most cases, it was individuals of the same race torching and robbing others of the same race, and yet again, there are charges of racism raised. What gives?

We've developed into a society where professional race baiters are held up as "respectable", "knowledgeable" or "experts" yet we've been conditioned not to challenge them lest we too be labeled "racist"; where one or more races are expected or encouraged by the corporate media, pressure groups and some politicians to feel "guilt" or "shameful" for something they never did or were responsible for. In reality, it seems these race baiters are good only at stirring up more problems than they feebly attempt to solve while making a few bucks off of it and walking away. Of late, we have had accusations of police violence and racism. In the case of Michael Brown, this "gentle giant" was locally known to be a bully and had just robbed a store through intimidation (the owner is Asian) before he attacked a white police officer and was killed. In New York, Eric Garner was forced to the ground through what appeared to be an illegal choke hold by a white officer. Garner had a rap sheet with some 30 arrests on it. He was no stranger to the cops or the situation. Investigation by the Grand Jury determined that the officer wasn't using a choke hold and that Garner died of heart attack. Finally, there was the case where a young black male, Tamir Rice, was playing with toy gun at a local Cleveland park. Police dispatch was advised (including the fact that gun appeared to be a toy), however dispatch failed to pass this critical piece of information on. The call was responded to by a rookie and a more experienced "observer". However, when in moments of arriving on the scene, the youth was dead; shot by the rookie officer. Investigation found that the rookie officer was not qualified to be on the force and had a more than questionable past with another police department which apparently wasn't evaluated.

Three situations. Similar only in that it involved a white police officer and a black victim. Independent investigation into each (which included members of the victim's racial community) revealed three distinct outcomes. In the first (Brown), it was determined that the officer was justified in the use of deadly force. In the second (Garner), it was determined that while the officer didn't nothing specifically wrong. In the third case (Rice), the actions of that officer resulted in his dismissal and may likely (and should) result in prosecution. Personally, I agree with the outcome of the Brown and Rice cases, however, in Garner's case, it sure looked like a chokehold to me and I'm former military, and even if he had a lenghty rap sheet, that's still no reason to die.

Nevertheless, aside from racial happenstance here, there's nothing to indicate racism played a part, and yet we have protests, looting, an hostile environment directed at police officers and first responders---including the cold blooded murder to two officers in NYC; one was Asian and the other Hispanic (by the way, how many Asian or Hispanic protests has there been? Yelp, none. No white ones either---not even when OJ was acquitted). But that's not the end of it. We've had looting of malls by large groups of mostly black kids (though corporate media won't identify them as such), and just recently black youths harassing non-black diners with taunts and yelling. WTH? Enough of this stupidity. There has been no incidents of racism except those created by the corporate media for rating purposes and the powers that be whose sole aim is to keep America divided to the point where we'll demand martial law, and if that happens you'll find out who your real enemy has been all along.


Organizations of Asian Descents in North America
http://www.asianamerican.net/organizations.html

Black Organizations and Organizations serving the Black Community
http://www.tnj.com/lists-resources/black-organizations-and-organizations-serving-black-communities

The Actual Facts of the Eric Garner Case
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2014/12/03/actual-facts-eric-garner/

11 Facts About the Eric Garner Case the Media Won't tell You
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/eric-garner-chokehold-grand-jury-police/2014/12/04/id/611058/

'Black brunch' protestors interrupt diners in NYC, Oakland
http://news.yahoo.com/black-brunch-protests-nyc-berkeley-oakland-190212742.htm

Another Failure of the Legal System

Here we go again. The grand jury just recently came down with a decision---rightfully so in my opinion---not to pursue charges against Officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown. In that case, Officer Wilson's testimony, as well as all available evidence supported the claim that Brown was physically assaulting and that Wilson was in imminent danger and therefore, justified in his use of deadly force. Now comes along the case involving the death of Eric Garner. While again, the grand jury declined to indict, the circumstances couldn't be more different.

In the Brown/Wilson case, Brown, according to store video, had just robbed a convenient store, making full use of his 6' 4" and 292 pound size, of a $48.00 box of cigarillos. Later, after being asked to get out of the middle of the street by Officer Darren Wilson, Brown apparently came incensed, and quickly their verbal exchange became physical as Brown first hit Wilson, who was still seated in his patrol car, in the face and then made several attempts to grab Wilson's service weapon. Brown was apparently fought off and then charged Wilson, who fired several shots to slow or stop Brown before he was fatally killed. However, in the Eric Garner case, we have something quite different.

Yes, Garner was also a big man. Quite large in fact; about 6'3" tall and weighing some 350 pounds, though with some health problems that included asthma and a heart condition. Second there were four officers present at the scene, including at least two who had some size too. Third, Garner was standing on the street corner, allegedly selling untaxed "gypsy" cigarettes---apparently a big deal in New York. Garner had a criminal record going back to the 1980's with some 30 arrests, including marijuana charges, resisting arrest, grand larceny, and selling those untaxed "gypsy" cigarettes. From video shot at the scene, Garner can be seen being polite and respectful to the officers as he repeatedly denies committing any crime. I have yet to see any video where the officers were able to substantiate their suspicions. Nevertheless, the officers decided to arrest Garner; perhaps as a form of intimidation in order to force Garner to admit that he was committing some crime. After Garner refused to allow the officers to arrest him things got ugly. Garner can be seen resisting the officers non-physically while at the same time, one officer, Daniel Pantaleo came up from behind and clearly put Garner in a chokehold, which is a violation of New York Police Department policy.

After being subdued, Officer Pantaleo continued to maintain pressure on Garner's chest, and head while Garner states quite distinctly 11 times that he was unable to breathe. It was only when Garner finally stopped moving that police appeared to take him seriously. After a delay, the officers started CPR while they waited on an ambulance, but by then it was all but too little too late. While the video and testimony of the bystanders mostly agreed, none of officers, including Pantaleo, who choked Garner, were indicted by the Staten Island Grand Jury; this also in despite that the coroner's office ruled Garner's death as a "homicide" resulting from the chokehold and compression of the chest due to the officer's knee. Everyone, from the mayor and police commissioner on down were (rightfully so) expecting an indictment to be handed down. The grand jury, we're now told, was hamstrung because they were limited in the charges to choose from. However, one individual was indicted, the guy who filmed the incident, Ramsey Orta. Orta stated that he recorded a similar violent police arrest on the same corner just a week earlier. The police claimed after the incident that Orta had a 25 caliber pistol, which he had slipped in the waistband of a 17 year old accomplice; charges which Orta denied and maintains is nothing more than retaliation by the police. So, now we're back to more protests, and not just in New York. They're spreading throughout the US and we can only hope they too don't turn violent.

What happened here? Obviously something went very wrong. Another failure in the judicial system? Apparently. Are the police above the law? I don't know. I do know of several incidents where the police were clearly at fault yet never charged. So perhaps there's some sort of built in immunity when it comes to equal treatment. Is there a subtle racism being practiced in among America's "Blue Knights"? While I'm tempted to say no, we learn of yet another death. This one involving a 12 year old black boy out playing in a neighborhood park in Cleveland, Ohio with a very real looking toy BB gun.

The 12 year old, Tamir Rice, was at the park, walking around with the gun--pulling it in and out of his pants and aiming it at people as they walked or drove by. Several individuals reported the child's behavior and all of them said that the gun appeared to be a toy with the orange plastic tip removed. Nevertheless, when dispatched notified Officers Tim Loehmann and Frank Garmback, they failed to mentioned that that those seeing the child thought the gun was a toy. However, in just under two seconds of the police arriving, the boy was dead on the ground; shot by Loehmann, a rookie on the force. As it turns out, Loehmann had worked for another police department in Independence, Ohio but was let go. The reason reportedly had to do with his psychological makeup and his inability to handle a weapon. If true, then clearly this man did not need to be a police officer. Moreover, someone should have done a more detailed background check before hiring him. But perhaps that's neither here or there. The fact is, he killed a child who had a toy gun; all within two seconds of arriving on the scene and no efforts to resist or run on the part of Rice. No doubt, there will be many protests over this too.

The first point I want to make here is each of these cases, while involving a black individual and a white police officer, are totally different in terms of circumstances. Wilson was attacked by Brown and reacted to protect himself. Garner could have and should have been dealt with differently, especially since there were four police officers on the scene surrounding Garner, who was not acting belligerently. And while the chokehold should not have been employed, it most certainly should not after Garner's repeated pleas that he couldn't breathe. Lastly, there are much safer ways to deal with a child who allegedly had a "gun". Dispatch should have alerted the officers that the gun was being reported as a possible toy. The officers too should have expected the kid to be absolutely terrified to have two officers roll up on him; only about eight to ten feet separated them. Both officers could have remained in their car and simply talked to the boy and found out what they needed to know. If it was real, they would have had the protection of the vehicle. Instead, they bolted out of their car with guns drawn and cocked.

Police officers and first responders are always under a lot of pressure. They never know what they're walking up on, and they usually aren't catching people at their best. Each situation is different, and should be treated as such. Had Wilson gotten out of his car when he questioned Brown, the situation might have turned out much differently given Brown's imposing physical size. The officers could had sat Garner down on the ground to question him (and after obtaining voluntary permission to search him which they didn't do). If he refused, it would have been much easier to handcuff him while he was seated on the sidewalk. Talking to the kid and explaining how people were nervous about seeing the gun while in their car, could have defused the situation.

The problem, as I see it, is the increasing sense of a "us vs. them" mentality among the police, who are increasingly acting like occupying troops, and why not? They are equipped with military equipment and hardware. They have massive armored vehicles, military grade weapons, bullets, and body armor. Their mentality is increasingly geared to see everyone as a potential criminal---the enemy. So, if they dress the part; if they are equipped the part; if they are encouraged to think the part; how long before they start acting the part? America is already well on its way to becoming a police state. We don't even question the countless levels of surveillance and security measures we're forced to endure every day---all for our own good we're reminded by the government's spy agencies and the corporate media. Whatever happened to the friendly officer who knew most---at least the faces---of everyone on his beat? Where's the guy who was always seen more a friend of the neighborhood or the one kids could always turn to if something happened? I guess that's just one more thing we've lost with many of our other freedoms.


Grand Jury in Eric Garner Case Wasn't Asked to Consider 'Reckless Endangerment' Charge
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/05/eric-garner-reckless-endangerment_n_6275698.html

Man Who Filmed Fatal Police Chokehold Is Arrested On Weapons Charges
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/04/nyregion/after-recording-eric-garner-chokehold-ramsey-orta-gets-charged-with-gun-possession.html?_r=0

Despite his testimony, grand jury indicted Ramsey Orta, the chokehold filmer...
http://www.silive.com/northshore/index.ssf/2014/08/despite_his_testimony_grand_ju.html

Video shows Cleveland officer shooting 12 year old Tamir Rice within seconds
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/11/26/officials-release-video-names-in-fatal-police-shooting-of-12-year-old-cleveland-boy/

Cop Who Shot 12 Year Old Described As Emotionally Unstable
http://www.buzzfeed.com/alisonvingiano/loehmann-independence-records